Gambling Combaticon-style
by naboru narluin
Summary: Gambling is always risky, but sometimes you should just listen to Brawl… / Brawl, Swindle, Vortex, Blast Off / comedy, implied violence and possible deaths of unnamed human OCs / PG-13


**Title: ****Gambling Combaticon-style**  
><strong>ContentWarnings:** comedy, implied violence and possible deaths of unnamed human OCs  
><strong>Continuity:<strong> G1 (part of the Dysfunction AU)  
><strong>Characters:<strong> Brawl, Swindle, Vortex, Blast Off  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Sadly, nothing is mine.  
><strong>Prompt:<strong> #3 Master-List-Prompt, and I chose: 'Pandora's box' from 23 June  
><strong>For:<strong> **ultharkitty**, because she inspired me to that bunny. :D  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Gambling is always risky, but sometimes you should just listen to Brawl…  
><strong>Beta:<strong> ultharkitty

**Note:** A prompt is where I start, but it's not necessarily where I end up.

* * *

><p>"<em>This<em> is stupid," Brawl muttered as he watched Swindle and Vortex working on the door lock.

Swindle huffed, optics focused on the mechanism. "Don't tell me you're scared."

The tank's engine rumbled at this, and Vortex chuckled.

"I'm not scared!" Brawl said. "I just think it's a stupid idea."

"Yeah, yeah, yadda yadda. Whatever. Just don't let the humans escape," the businessmech mumbled uninterested.

Brawl only shook his head and sighed, keeping his optics on the two shivering humans in his hand. He just _knew_ this wouldn't end well.

He waited another klik before Vortex and Swindle finally opened the door. It revealed a dark room, darker than the corridor they were currently standing in.

His comrades gave Brawl a look as they stepped in. A look which clearly said: _be quiet!_

He sighed again, and followed.

* * *

><p>My human's going to win, anyway!/ Vortex hissed over the comm to Swindle, who just laughed quietly.

/Yeah, of course, we'll see, rotor head./

Vortex glared at the jeep, but Brawl stopped paying attention. He was far more concerned about himself than about the humans or which human would win. He glanced over Blast Off's body on the berth, deep in recharge, systems working nearly inaudible.

/Uhm…/ the tank began insecurely, /you do know that he just came back yesterday, don't you?/

Swindle tried to imitate the human gesture of rolling eyes, and Vortex just tilted his head. Apparently, he'd said something dumb again. Brawl shifted, and then hissed to cover his embarrassment. /And why do I have to hold him down?/

Vortex stepped closer, poking the tank's forehead with two fingers before he spoke. /Because _you_ flattened your human and couldn't get a new one. Your mistake, so you hold him down./

From his tone, Brawl could tell that the 'copter was grinning.

/Hmpf. Don't remind me; it was nasty. All this stuff between my treads…/ Brawl was sure that tanks weren't meant to capture humans, though he kept quiet, afraid to say again something stupid.

/Here, take your humans,/ he mumbled instead and handed the two organics to Vortex and Swindle.

The 'copter took the human with the dark fur at its collar, holding it up in front of his battle mask as he whispered,"And you, remember, times counts when he wakes up. You run out the door and then left." Vortex shrugged. "If you survive, I might let you go."

The human nodded, shivering and whimpering.

Brawl hoped that these noises wouldn't wake up Blast Off too early.

He went over to the head end of Blast Off's berth after Swindle took his human and gave it similar instructions using another Earth language.

/So, uhm,/ Brawl shifted anew, staring at the shuttle's unconscious body. /Swindle, you're really sure that's going to work?/

Pit, he didn't want to end up being slagged.

/Could you just mute it,/ the businessmech snapped. /What do you think Blast Off likes less? Annoying team mates or being touched by_organics_?/

Vortex chuckled again, and Swindle carried on, /It's a simple equation. Even you should be able to solve that one./

Brawl kept his engine from revving in annoyance. Why did they always treat him as though he didn't have a working processor? It was his right to ask, because he could imagine more pleasant things than being punched by Blast Off.

Swindle continued, not as irritated as before, /He will go after the humans. Whose human dies last, wins./

This wasn't going to end well, Brawl thought once more as his team mates put their humans on Blast Off's legs. He titled his head slightly and wondered how the organics were supposed to get off the berth without damaging themselves. But again he kept quiet before his comrades snapped at him anew.

He was just there to keep Blast Off from moving, at least for a few astroseconds. Letting his hands hover over the shuttle's shoulders, he deeply vented air though his intakes.

/Uhm./ He knew it was again stupid to ask, but… /How do we wake him up?/

To Brawl's surprise, this time neither Swindle nor Vortex instantly had an answer. The jeep just shrugged, frowning, and the 'copter looked at the recharging mech for a few astroseconds.

/Be ready,/ it came over the communication link with a much too amused tone, and Brawl tensed. Watching Vortex' hand reaching for Blast Off's side, the tank got almost rigid when he realised what the 'copter was about to do as he began stroking a certain part of the shuttle's body, and he could even feel Vortex' energy field flaring from where he stood.

Almost three kliks passed in which Vortex kept this up.

Brawl sensed an eruption in Blast Off's energy field and only astroseconds after he pushed Blast Off's shoulders down.

Purple optics snapped online when the systems rebooted and the powerful engine growled.

And Brawl didn't like it one bit that he was the first thing Blast Off saw the moment he was forced out of recharge.

Swindle and Vortex each hold one leg, hindering Blast Off from kicking out and damaging the humans before they were able to run off.

The shuttle's head raised as he tried to sat up, seeing the humans running away which had touched him just a moment ago, and the engine's rumbling echoed even louder through the room.

Then, it happened all too fast. Swindle let go of one leg and Blast Off kicked, simultaneously powering up his thrusters and sending the businessmech with a clatter at the opposite wall. Vortex stepped back just in time, evading the foot and laughing.

Brawl, however, wasn't in the mood to laugh. He couldn't say how it happened, but one moment he was still holding Blast Off down, and the next the shuttle sat up. A hand closed around the tank's upper arm and he was thrown through the room.

Brawl's back hit Vortex' chest and he was thankful for that, because otherwise he would have hit the floor.

"Hehe…" Vortex still chuckled quietly, and Brawl felt the vibration of the other's amusement.

Blast Off only stood there, staring at them wordlessly; the cannons at his legs thrumming with the promise of making use of them.

And Brawl knew that there was no way talking himself out of this. So much for _he will go after the humans_.

It was when the first shot left Blast Off's cannons and Swindle - who had reached the door in an attempt to escape silently - fell to the ground, that Brawl thought bitterly: We're so slagged…

* * *

><p>Later that night, Brawl lay in medbay, his cannon barrel was missing and two of his treads had been ripped off.<p>

"And _you_ said he'd go after the humans!" His voice was full of accusation.

Swindle huffed, and it sounded rather like a gargling. His windshield was broken, and his armour dented. The left thigh was adorned with a dark hole where a few cables stood out.

"Anybody can make a mistake," the jeep said.

Next to them on another berth lay Vortex. The three remaining rotor blades were bent, and the glass at his feet was broken. He shifted on the berth, rotors scratching over the metal surface.

He kept silent.

Behind the dented battle mask, the 'copter was just grinning contently.

"Great…" Brawl muttered. "I told you this was a stupid idea!"


End file.
